Dispensing head



Oct. 12, 1965 W -SEAQU|$T 3,211,384

DISPENS ING HEAD Filed Sept. 3, 1963 United States Patent 3,211,384 DISPENSING HEAD Nels W. Seaquist, Crystal Lake, 11]., assignor, by mesne assignments, to eaquist Valve Company, Division of Pittsburgh Railways Company, Cary, 11]., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 306,201 13 Claims. (Cl. 239-579) This invention relates to a dispensing head for an aerosol valve and more particularly to a dispensing head with a diaphragm top face and an integral fingerpiece whereby a simplified molded structure is possible with no increase in actuation force required to open the aerosol valve. The head also has novel capping means which prevent accidental opening of the valve during transport and/or storage.

Valves for aerosol cans generally comprise a valve body with a spring biased valve stem therein which reciprocates within the body.

The valve stem may, as illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 3,085,753, issued April 16, 1963, be hollow with a closed botom end and a discharge port on its side wall. Sealing means normally seal the port until the valve is actuated by depressing the hollow stem into the valve body.

The valve stem may also as illustrated in US. Patent No. 2,841,443, issued July 1, 1958, be a solid inverted mushroom-shaped member. 'The sealing means is disposed between the mushroom head and a lower surface of the valvebody. Thus as the stem is depressed into the valve body, the seal between the mushroom head and the body is broken causing release of the contents of the can.

It is desirable to minimize the actuation force necessary to operate the valve. Women frequently complain that the valve is too stiff and requires intense finger pressure to operate it. A dispensing head frequently adds to the amount of pressure required. US. Patent No. 2,753,214, issued July 3, 1956-, typifies this complaint. Further the structure of dispensing heads are frequently complicated causing high manufacturing and valve assembly cost.

Witness for example the structure shown in US. 2,579,977, issued December 25, 1951. In addition, certain structures (see US. 2,753,214, supra), lend themselves to only one dispensing direction to be fully operable.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensing head for an aerosol valve.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dispensing head which can be modified by only slight changes in structure to provide for different dispensing direction.

Still another object is to provide a dispensing head which is simple in structure so that it can be molded economically.

A further object is to provide a dispensing head which requires only minimal force to actuate the valve.

A still further object is to provide a dispensing head Which has means incorporated therein to avert accidental discharge or release of the material within the can.

Another object is to provide a dispensing head of the above character which guards against pilferage or tampering.

Another object is to provide a dispensing head which has minimal clogging tendencies.

Another object is to provide a dispensing head which is easy to apply to a valve regardless of the structure utilized for the valve stem.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of 3,211,384 Patented Oct. 12, 1965 ice construction, combinations of elements, and arragement of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the dispensing head shown mounted upon the crown top of an aerosol can.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the dispensing head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the head of FIG. 1 taken along line 33.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing the stacking provision of the dispensing head.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of another embodiment of the head showing it capped with a cupcap and having a second can stacked thereon.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the head of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of various cap designs useful for capping the several embodiments of the dispensing head shown in previous figures.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, the dispensing head of this invention, in its broadest aspects, comprises a tubular wall member 10 having a diaphragm 12 disposed across the tube cavity.

In the central portion of said diaphragm is a discharge passageway 14 which terminates externally as a dispensing orifice either axially or radially of said passageway. In the latter instance, a nozzle 16 is aflixed to said central portion of the said diaphragm (see FIGS. 2 and 3), whereas in the former instance, the passage way merely extends through the center of the diaphragm (see FIG. 5) and shrinks down to a vertical spray orifice 18.

More particularly, the dispensing head herein comprises an outer tubular wall 10, the inner diameter of which is preferably made approximately equal to the outer diameter of rim 20 of valve housing 30 to which the head is preferably afiixed. However, the dispensing head may also have a diameter approximating the outer diameter of the areosol can so as to present a uniform columnar appearance. In such instance, the head may have an interior concentric skirt which has a diameter approximately equal to the rim 20 for similar head-valve aflixation. A lower inner annular shoulder 22, in the inside surface of the housing or the skirt coupled with the resiliency of the plastic material of which the head is made permits a snap-fit attachment onto rim 20.

Disposed across the cavity of tubular wall 10 is a diaphragm 12. For added resiliency, the diaphragm may have one or more annular concentric accordion-like folds (only two shown, numbered 24 and 26), superimposed therein. The center of the diaphragm is thicker and contains a passageway 14, which leads from the aerosol valve to a dispensing orifice means, which may comprise a horizontally directed nozzle 16 affixed to the central portion of said diaphragm or a vertically directed orifice 18 (compare FIGS. 3 and 5). Dependent upon whether the spray is to be horizontal or vertical (as seen in said FIGS. 3 and 5), a centrally disposed finger piece 42, or

It should be evident from the above broad description that the basic structure of the dispensing head is substantially similar. So, the detailed description, which follows, will, at first, refer to the common elements and then the variations will be described in detail.

The dispensing head consists of a tubular wall member which may have a step at 50. Indeed, the lower end of the dispensing head may, as indicated by the dotted lines 60 in FIG. 4, have an extra wide step and riser portion to completely enclose the crown portion 32 of the aerosol can 34. In the first instance, the lower skirt portion 21 of said step or else, in the case of said crown enclosure variation, the head has an inner annular skirt portion 21 which snap-fits over the valve housing rim 20 and is preferably retained there by an annular anchoring shoulder 22 on the lower surface of the skirt portion 21. Since the dispensing head is preferably made of a resilient plastic, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylcellulose or the like, shoulder 22 has sufficient resiliency after being snapped over rim 20 to regain its original diameter. Thus the head is securely held to the valve housing. Such simple attachment means are very desirable for high-speed canning or assembly operation. Afiixed across the tubular cavity is a diaphragm 12. The diaphragm preferably was one or more annular concentric accordion-like folds 24 and 26 for easing the amount of force needed to depress the diaphragm and actuate the valve. Indeed, these folds may be so designed that a minimum amount of finger pressure is needed. And by appropriate design of the biasing means of the aerosol valve, the complaint that the valve is hard to open is completely appeased. The exact positioning of the diaphragm with respect to the wall 10 can obviously be varied dependent upon the amount of assurance against accidental discharge desired. It should be evident that the higher the wings 46, the less chance there is for accidental depression of diaphragm 12.

The center of the diaphragm has a thickened central section which contains a passageway 14. The lower=end of the passageway 14 is designed so that it will force fit upon the hollow valve stem 36, or upon a tubular extension of valve body 40, dependent upon the particular valve being used. Other methods of aflixing passageway 14 to the valve so as to cause a leakproof communicating means from the can contents to the orifice may also be used. Threading for example, is one such means.

As seen in FIG. 2, wings 46 are interrupted at both 52 and 54 so as to accommodate the dispensing nozzle 16 and to provide space for entry of the operators finger or, as seen in FIG. 6 at 56 merely accommodate the offcenter fingerpiece 44.

The dispensing head may be capped with a disc-shaped cap 48 or an inverted cup-shaped cap 50. Wings 46 are preferably provided with a step 62 on their upper inner wall to accommodate the disc-shaped cap 48. The latter type cap is preferred because of its simplicity, versatility, and ease of manufacture. This cap merely requires stamping of the correct diameter discs out of a plastic sheet.

As stated, the dispensing head may also be capped with an inverted cup-shaped cap. In such instance, the cap fits around the outer surface of wings 46, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

If desired, the cap, especially the disc cap, may be sealed to the wings with an adhesive, by heat sealing or by the use of a heat-shrinkable sleeve. Indeed shrinkage of such a sleeve about the cap and head may be accomplished during the normal hot water leakage testing of the filled aerosol can. Thus, if anyone has tampered with the closure prior to sale to the ultimate consumer, it is easily detectable by the fact that the seal is broken or damaged.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the unique stacking possibility of the dispensing head of this invention. As seen, the wings, with or without the caps 48 and 50, permit the placement of a second can upon the dispensing head without danger of activating the valve can. These wings may, if desired for the embodiment wherein the skirt embraces the complete crown top of the aerosol can, be moved downwardly. Obviously, in stacking the cans, the height of the stack is of no importance because the valve is protected.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 to 4 which illustrate the horizontal spray embodiment of the dispensing head.

From FIG. 3, it will be seen that passageway 14 communicates with a horizontally disposed nozzle 16 which is affixed to the central portion of the diaphragm and extends through a slot between Wings 46. A right angular passageway 14 extending from the valve to the nozzle 16 is therefore effected which moves with the diaphragm as it is depressed and released. Other angled positions for said nozzle are also possible.

The nozzle preferably has an outwardly flaring mouth so as to aid in dislodging any accumulated matter within the nozzle. The inertness of the material used to mold the dispensing head plus the jet action of the contents being discharged acts as a positive clearing means. Indeed, in the usual situation, there is no accumulation of matter in the nozzle because of the unique design utilized.

FIGS. 2 to 4 illustrate the protrusion of the nozzle 16 through interruption 54 in the wing structure. Indeed, there is no connection whatsoever of nozzle 16 to any portion of the tubular wall 10. Only the base of nozzle 16 is integral with the central portion of the diaphragm at the periphery of the fingerpiece 42. Thus as the diaphragm is depressed, the nozzle moves with the depressed diaphragm.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the vertical spray embodiment of the dispensing head. In this versi'on,-'the passageway 14 merely shrinks down to an orifice 16 which pierces the central portion of the diaphragm. An off-center fingerpiece 44 integral at its base with said central portion extends to the interruption 56 of wings 46 so that the finger of the operator may actuate the valve.

It will thus be seen that objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Now that the invention has been described, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dispensing head for an aerosol valve comprising a tubular wall member with a substantially fiat elastic diaphragm having a thickened central section disposed across the tube cavity and means for affixing said head to said valve, said diaphragm having at least one annular corrugation concentric to said thickened central section superimposed therein for added resiliency, said thickened central section containing a passageway which terminates externally as a discharge orifice and internally as means for connection to the discharge port of said aerosol valve, and said tubular wall member extending upwardly of said diaphragm into an interrupted wing structure wherein stacking is possible, the interruption in said wing structure providing access to said diaphragm for activating said valve.

2. The dispensing head of claim 1 wherein said means for atfixing said head to said valve comprises an annular shoulder on the inner surface of said tubular wall memher having a diameter which snap-fits over the edge of the housing of said valve.

3. The dispensing head of claim 1 wherein said diaphragm has a plurality of concentric accordion-like folds about said thickened central section superimposed therein for added resiliency.

4. The dispensing head of claim 1 wherein said discharge orifice comprises a nozzle angled with respect to said passageway, the base of said nozzle being integral with said thickened central portion of said diaphragm and the discharge end thereof protruding through one of said interruptions in said wing structure.

5. The dispensing head of claim 1 wherein said discharge orifice comprises a nozzle angled with respect to said passageway, the base of said nozzle being integral with said thickened central portion of said diaphragm and the discharge end thereof protruding through one of said interruptions in said wing structure, the passageway in said nozzle having an outwardly flaring configuration whereby clogging of said nozzle is avoided.

6. The dispensing head of claim 1 wherein said discharge orifice comprises an axial shrunken extension of said passageway through said diaphragm.

7. The dispensing head of claim 1 wherein said wing structure has means therein for aflixing a cap upon said head to further insure against accidental discharge.

8. The dispensing head of claim 1 wherein said wing structure has a stepped inner upper surface for inserting a disc-cap therein of appropriate diameter to cap said head to further insure against accidental discharge.

9. A dispensing head for an aerosol valve comprising a tubular wall member with a substantially flat elastic diaphragm having a thickened central section disposed across the tube cavity and means for affixing said head to said valve, said diaphragm having at least one annular corrugation concentric to said thickened section superimposed therein for added resiliency, said thickened central section containing a passageway, and the top portion of said section comprising a fingerpiece, a nozzle angled with respect to said passageway and communicating therewith, the passageway in said nozzle having an outwardly flaring configuration whereby clogging of said nozzle is avoided, the base of said nozzle being integral with said thickened central portion of said diaphragm, said tubular wall member extending upwardly of said diaphragm into an interrupted wing structure wherein stacking is possible, the discharge end of said nozzle protruding through one interruption and another interruption providing access to said fingerpiece wherein said diaphragm and valve connected thereto may be actuated.

10. The dispensing head of claim 9 wherein said wing structure has a stepped inner surface for inserting a disccap therein of appropriate diameter to cap said head.

11. A dispensing head for an aerosol valve comprising a tubular wall with a substantially flat elastic diaphragm having a thickened central section disposed across the tube cavity and means for afiixing said head to said valve, said diaphragm having at least one annular corrugation concentric to said thickened section superimposed therein for added resiliency, said thickened central section containing a passageway, a discharge orifice communicating with said passageway which comprises an axial shrunken extension of said passageway through said diaphragm, said tubular wall member extending upwardly of said diaphragm into an interrupted wing structure wherein stacking is possible, an oif-center radially extending fingerpiece afiixed to said central portion of said diaphragm, and disposed adjacent one of said interruptions in said wing structure wherein said diaphragm and valve connected thereto may be actuated.

12. The dispensing head of claim 11 wherein said wing structure has a stepped inner surface for inserting a disccap therein of appropriate diameter to cap said head.

13. A dispensing head for an aerosol valve comprising a tubular wall member with a substantially flat elastic diaphragm having a thickened center section disposed across the tube cavity and means for affixing said head to said valve, said diaphragm having at least one annular corrugation concentric to said thickened central section superimposed therein for added resiliency, said thickened central section containing a passageway which terminates externally as a discharge orifice and internally as means for connection to the discharge port of said aerosol valve.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,697,635 12/54 Ivins et al 239-437 2,707,968 5/55 Efford 239288 2,753,214 7/56 Abplanalp 239-337 2,921,722 1/60 Focht 222-394 2,953,284 9/60 Prussin et al 222394 2,954,904 10/60 Potoczky 222-394 2,965,271 12/60 Soffer et al. 222394 2,982,448 5/61 Leonard et al. 222394 3,062,411 11/62 Miles 222-394 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSING HEAD FOR AN AEROSOL VALVE COMPRISING A TUBULAR EALL MEMBER WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT ELASTIC DIAPHRAGM HAVING A THICKENED CENTRAL SECTION DISPOSED ACROSS THE TUBE CAVITY AND MEANS FOR AFFIXING SAID HEAD TO SAID VALVE, SAID DIAPHRAGM HAVING AT LEAST ONE ANNULAR CORRUGATION CONCENTRIC TO SAID THICKNENED CENTRAL SECTION SUPERIMPOSED THEREIN FOR ADDED RESILIENCY, SAID THICKENED CENTRAL SECTION CONTAINING A PASSAGEWAY WHICH TERMINATES EXTERNALLY AS A DISCHARGE ORIFICE AND INTERNALLY AS MEANS FOR CONNECTION TO THE DISCHARGE PORT OF SAID AEROSOL VALVE, SAID SECOND TUBULAR WALL MEMBER EXTENDING UPWARDLY OF SAID 